Comprehensive PlanSt. Charles Parish has been working on a Comprehensive Plan over the past year. This Comprehensive Plan creates a “blueprint” for future growth, development and redevelopment based on how the ci�zens want the parish to look over the next 20 years. The Comprehensive Plan will address parish-wide issues such as infrastructure, housing, economic development, land use, parks and open space, community facili�es and transporta�on.

The parish has been working with consultants, Wallace, Roberts and Todd (WRT), the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), a ci�zen-based Steering Commi�ee, and the public over the past year to create a Vision Statement, Future Land Use Map, and policies and ac�on items based on the issues listed above.

Preferences were iden�fied by par�cipants using the vision statement as their star�ng point, and priori�zing development op�ons. Addi�onally, maps illustra�ng exis�ng land use and zoning, and current status of sites allowed ci�zens to guide the consultants and build the founda�on for future land use maps and goals, policies and ac�ons.

members were asked to rank their priori�es for economic development and land use, vote on their visual preferences for future development types, create future headlines for the parish’s economic development, and draw future land use desires on a parish-wide map. In addi�on, and online survey was made available for those who could not come to mee�ngs. Approximately 250 persons par�cipated in the mee�ngs or took the online survey.

Public Mee�ngsIn August through October of 2009, St. Charles Parish held the first series of public mee�ngs. Overall, 12 public mee�ngs were held throughout the parish to iden�fy the parish’s strengths, weaknesses, opportuni�es, and threats. Nearly 500 people par�cipated in this series of workshops, including 150 students. This informa�on was then used by the Steering Commi�ee to create the Vision Statement, that is the guide for the rest of the document.

St. Charles Parish held another set of public mee�ngs in March 2010 to get input from the community on what they envision St. Charles Parish should look like within the next 20 years. During these mee�ngs, community

SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2010

Community Input Summary Top Land Use and Development Priori�es Iden�fied in the Public Mee�ngs (in order): • Technology Parks • Light Industry • Offices • Single family housing (detached and a�ached) • Local-serving retail (groceries, dry cleaners, pharmacy, hair salon, etc.) • Senior housing (senior community, group living facility)

Top Economic Development Priori�es Iden�fied in the Public Mee�ngs (in order): • Improve hurricane flooding and protec�on • Diversify local economy • Expand training and other educa�onal opportuni�es • Encourage community revitaliza�on/beau�fica�on efforts • Focus on the following economic sectors: • Light manufacturing • Research and development • Informa�on/technology • Tourism (historical, ecological, recrea�onal) • Government, educa�on, medical and health services

Resul�ng Plan ElementsThe Steering Commi�ee, which is the sounding board for the consultants made up of community members, is currently working with the consultants to develop a policy framework that will serve as the basis of the plan elements. Each topic of the policy framework (Land Use and Development, Economic Development, etc.) is based on the Vision Statement, community input, and exis�ng plans, and is intended to contribute to making St. Charles Parish more livable, more resilient, and more adaptable to changing condi�ons in the future.

Next Public Mee�ngsKeep your eyes out for the next series of public mee�ngs in the fall! During these mee�ngs, we will be asking you to give us feedback on the policies recommended under each plan topic and the Future Land Use Map. The map will depict the parish’s future pa�ern of land uses and will serve as a guide for future development and redevelopment decisions. The map will also reflect how residents indicated they wanted the parish to grow. The map will be circulated for 30 days prior to the next round of mee�ngs for your review. Your input is cri�cal to the success of this project so we hope to see you at these public mee�ngs in the fall!

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